Adjustable steering-column for automobiles.



A, WINTON 6; H. B. ANDERSON. ADJUSTABLE STEERING COLUMN FOR AUTaMoBILBs.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE12,'1013.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETESHEET 1v A. WJLNTON & H. B. ANDERSON. ADJUSTABLE STEERING COLUMN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1913- 1, 1 25, 21, Patsnted 5511.19, 1915.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

Wiineomw anneal tons .UNITED enemas PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANBER WINTON AND HAROLD B. ANDERSON, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIG, ASSIGNORS 1'0 THE WINTON MOTOE CARRIAGE COMPANY, 01? CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ADJUTABLE STEERING-COLUMN- FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. in, 1915.

Application filed June 12, 1813. .Serial No. 773,367.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known thatwe, ALEXANDER Wnv'ron and HAROLD B. ANDERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, 1n the county of Cuyahoga and State of Oh1o,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Steering-Columns for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The object of our invention is to provide a means whereby the steering column for an automobile steering wheel may be readily adjusted at different angles after it has been set up to accommodate the driver of the automobile.

Another object of our invention is to provide a simple, cheap and more 'ell'cctive device of this character having certain details of structure hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying (l1"\WlIlg- FlgUlB 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the front part of an automobile, showing my im proved steering column. Fig. '2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the locking means for holding the steering column in its adjusted position to the floor.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view oi a main casting which is attached to the floor andv dash of the automobile. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line l'-lof Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the locking plate and locking washer. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the shim. F 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the support for the upper end of the steering column. Fig. S is a plan view of the support shown inFig. 7

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the body of an ordinary automobile and 2 and 3 the engine cylinders in the hood.

In theform of automobile to which my device is more espec ally designed, the irame is provided with a bracket, and one oi the engine cylinders is also provided with a bracket on the same level and the steering gear-case -l is provided with lugs 5, which are secured to the l aclcet by means of the bolts (3 and 7. By this arrangement it will be seen that the steering gear case a is rigidly supported by the automobile frame. The steering column 8 extends upwardly from the steering gear case through the floor 9 of the automobile to a point adjacent the seat 10.

It has been found in automobiles that the position of this Wheel is not exactly ri 'ht for different operators and the manu acturers of automobiles are often required to change the position of the steering wheel.

In order that the position of this wheel may be readily changed at any time to suit the purchaser of the car, we have provided this improved device.

As heretofore stated, the steering gear case 4- is rigidly supported by the frame of the ear within the hood and the steering column is rotatably mounted therein and operates 'the steering gear. hen it is desired to change the position or angle of the steering column8, it is only necessary to re niovethe bolts 6 and 7 and place the tapering shim 11, between the brackets and the lugs on the steering gear case. This tapering shim. asshown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, is provided with openings 12 through which the bolts pass, and the angle'at which the steering column is adjusted is'governed by the thickness of the shim. WVhen the shim has given the proper angle to the steering gear case, the same will be securely bolted in position by means of the bolts 6 and 7 and the steering colunnrwill extend upwardly through the floor 9 of the automobile at the proper angle. In order to provide for this adjustment of the steering column and at the same time provide a rigid connection between the same and the fioor or body of the automobile, I employ a casting 13, which is bolted to the floor and dash of the automobile and is provided With an elongated opening 14. This casting, as shownin Fig. 3of the drawing, is made of two sections so that it can be readily re moved from around the steering column and the two sections are locked together by means oi the bolts 15. Theunder faced this casting 13 is providedwitha concaved surface 16, having serrations 17 on each 1 ing and lockthc bushing to the casting to the desired angle by meanaoi-ithe tapered shim, as heretofore described.

The lower end of the bushing 18 ispro vided with a screw-threaded portion 20, be low the casting 13, and loosely'surrounding the bushing below the casting is a locking plate 21, having upwardly extending ears 22, provided with, serrated extensions 23,

extending beyond the face thereof and which 10' hold the steering column Brigid in its adjusted position. The washer 25, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 extends beyond the nut 24 and is adapted to be turned over the nut ifor locking the same in its locked position, whereby the nut is prevented from working loose. o a

In order that the steering column 8 above the floor 9 of the car may be additionally supported, we provide the support 225, which is formed of a horse-shoe shape, as indicated at 29, and which is provided with openings 30 by means of which the same is attached to the vertical portion 31 of the body of the car.- The said support is provided with extending ears 32 in which is the pin 33, carried by the sleeve outwardl journal -34, through which the steering column 8 loosel passes. By this structure it will be seen t atthe stecring column adjusted to ture o the proper position and the horse-shoeshaped support is then bolted to the portion 31 of the car.

From the foregoing description it will be .seen that we have produced a very simple,

cheap and effective means whereby the steer- .ing column may be at any time adjusted to suit the purchasmr of the automobile and requirin practically no change in the strucg the steering gear case or the column. While we have shown and described this device as applied to a motor vehicle it will be understood that it could be applied to a boat or an aeroplane, and while in the claims we will cover the same in combination with a vehicle, it must be understood that the word vehlcle would cover any form of a con- Ye auce. I y p The upper end of the sleeve 34 has rigidly secured thereto a tube 35,through which the steering column 8 passes. This tubeext'ends to the steering wheel and forms a better finish t0 the column.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Putent is:

1. In an autoumbilc, a steering column adjustably bolted to a part of the automobilestructuro, a casting carriml by a part of the automobile structure and through which the steering column passes, a bushing movable in the casting and surrouiuling the steering column, and inc-ans for locking the bushing the bushing for locking the same to the serrated face of the casting.

3. In an automobilc, a steering column adjustubly bolted to a part of the automobile structure, a casting carried by a part vof the automobile structure and through which the steering column passes, a bushing surrounding the steering column and passing through the casting and a locking nut carried by the bushing and adapted to lock the bushing to the casting, sub:-;tantially as shown and described.

l. In an automobile, a ctr-airing column udjustably secured to a part of'tlic automobile structure. a casting carried by a part of the automobile structure and through which the steering column passes, a bushing surrouud ing the steering column within the casting, andmcans carried by the. bushing for locking the same to the casting in its adjusted position.

5. In an automobile, a steering column ad justably secured to a part of the automobile structure, a casting carried by a part of the autmnobilc structure and through which the steering column passes, a bushing surrounding the steering column and movable in the casting, means for locking the bushing to the casting, and means above the casting for rotatably supporting the steering column, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an automobilefl-a stcerin column secured to a part of the automobi e stmcture, a. means for adjusting the angle of the steerin column, a plate secured to the automobi 0 structure and having an elon ted slot,- a bushing within said slot an which the steering column passes, said late through having a concaved serrated face, and a. ocking member on the bushing and having ser rations meshing with the serrations of the plate.

7. In an automobile, 'a steerin column secured to a part of the automobi e-'structure',

a means for adjusting the angle of the steer ing column, a plate secured to theautom0- bile structure and having an elongated slot,

nieaear.

a bushing passing through said slot and movable therein and through which the steering column passes, the said plate hav ing a concaved serrated face, a locking; member slidable on the bushing and-having serrations meshing with the serrations of the plate, and a nut on the bushing for forcing the locking member into engagement with the serrated face of the plate,

,8. In an automobile, a steerin column secured to a part of the automohi e structure, a means for adjusting the angle of the column, a plate secured to a part of the automobile structure and having an elongated sl0t, a bushing extending throu 11 said amt and movable therein and throng whichthe steering column passes, said plate having serrations on the opposite sides of the slot, a locking member adjustable on the bushing and having a serrated portion engaging the serrations of the plate, a washer engaging the locking member and the bushing and locking the same together, a nut screwed upon'the bushing and forcing the locking member in engagement with the serrations of the plate, substantially as shown and described.

9. In an automobile, a steering column secured to a part of the automobile structure, means for adjusting the column at diti erent angles, a casting carried by a part of the automobilestructure and through which the steering column passes, a bushing movable in the casting and surrounding the steering column, means for locking the bushing to the casting, a horseshoe-shaped plate adapted to straddle the steering column and attached to a part of the automobile structure, a sleeve extending between the arms formed by a horseshoe-shaped plate and through which the steering column passes and having pintles mounted in the arms of the horseshoe plate, substantially as shown and described.

10. In an automobile, a steering column secured to a part of the automobile strum ture, means for adjusting the angle of the column, a plate seam-or! to a part of the automobile structure and having an elon ated slot, bushin extending through said slot and movable t ierein and through which the steering column passes, said plate having serrations on opposite sides'oi' the slot, 2. locking member adjustable on the bushing and having serrated nortions engaging the serrations of the plate, a nut for holding the locking member in its adjusted position, a.

horseshoe-shaped plate straddling the steering column'and adapted to be rlgidly secured to the automobile structure after the column has been moved in its adjusted position, a sleeve between the arms of the horseshoe shaped member and through which the steering column passes, and pintles carried by the sleeve and journaled in the arms of the horseshoe shaped member, substantially as shown and described.

.11. In an automobile, a steering column adjustably secured to part of the automobile structure, a casting carried by a part or" the automible structure and through which the steering column passes, means for holding the steering column in its adjusted position the casting, and a pivoted bushing abovethe casting and supported by a part of the automobile structure through which the steering column passes.

12. lin an automobile, a steering column adjustably secured to a part of the automobile structure, a plate sec ed to a part of the automobile structure ahd having an elongated slot, a bushing extending'through said slot and movable therein and having a steerin 601111111). assin therethrou h said;

plate having serrations on the opposite side of the slot, and. a locking member adjustable on the bushing and having a serrated portion engaging the serrations of the plate.

in testimony whereby we hereunto afllx our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXAEDER VVINTON.

AEGLD B. ANDERSON Witnesses :1 a

i J. WARD,

BYRON B, Bnocnwar. 

